OUR TEAM

Lauren Lockey

Co founder

A passionate animal rights advocate since childhood, Lauren Lockey grew up in Southwestern Ohio, where she spent most of her days around animals. During these years she developed a fond admiration for animals of all kinds, which influenced her decision to embrace a vegetarian and then vegan lifestyle when she was 12 years old.

Lauren dedicated herself to doing volunteer work for animal activist groups. She walked door to door in many neighborhoods educating about issues such as animal testing in labs and the Bovine Growth Hormone in dairy cows.

Since relocating to Utah in 2002, Lauren has been active in local animal welfare issues through writing articles in newspapers, attending and speaking at council meetings, starting and signing animal welfare petitions, promoting plant-based nutrition through her personal training business, and played an integral role in a few horse rescue operations.

Lauren brings her passion and commitment for animal rights issues to make Sage Mountain an efficient and effective organization focused on providing animals a life of dignity.

David Swartz

Co founder

Leading by example through his compassionate way of living, Dave Swartz had his first glimpse of animal cruelty 14 years ago. The impact of that experience gave him the strong desire to generate greater awareness for animal welfare issues. Dave became vegetarian and then vegan and at one time had a vegetarian fast food restaurant in Salt Lake City with the objective of promoting compassionate and healthy eating. He offers keen business sensibilities coupled with the goal to grow Sage Mountain into a leader in the animal welfare movement.

Crystal Moulton

Director of Animal Care

Crystal got her start in animal care working with various animal rescues and sanctuaries. She quickly learned a variety of skills such as trimming hooves and tusks on potbelly pigs, then hooves on goats and sheep, and more. From there she went to shearing school and is developing her skills in caring for “fiber animals”. She really enjoys the care and treatment of farmed animals in general and appreciates being able to use a compassionate touch in her animal care.

I believe that with “One Single Act” we will change the world for the much much better. And that act, is for ALL humans to adopt a low fat, whole food, plant only, vegan lifestyle!

Sarah Carey

Sarah’s career in destination management began as an intern with RMC in 2004. After graduating in 2005 with a bachelor’s in Business Management from the University of Denver, Sarah went on to work in several RMC offices, becoming well versed in both the destination management industry as well as the resources of RMC’s individual offices. In 2009, Sarah was called upon to open RMC’s Park City office. There she sought out the community’s premier vendors, restaurants and staff, forging the relationships that have lead to successful, lasting partnerships. In 2013 Sarah established RMC’s Creative Development Department, bringing the proposal writing process under one roof to ensure cutting edge creativity and style, as well as a consistent message company-wide. Through this process, Sarah has assisted in the opening of Austin, TX, Los Cabos and Coastal Carolina/Georgia offices. It is pretty safe to say no one knows as much about every destination and their offerings than Sarah. Sarah is passionate about running, biking, and hiking, and is in love with Park City’s mountains, sense of community and popular outdoor lifestyle.

Chris Shapard

Chris is the Salt Lake City director of the Factory Farming Awareness Coalition (FFAC), an educational nonprofit committed to empowering people to save the environment, animals and our own health through our daily food choices. Prior to working for FFAC, Chris did communications and fundraising work for another national animal advocacy nonprofit. He recently spent a summer doing an internship at a small farmed animal sanctuary in Indiana where he assisted with animal care and outreach efforts.

Chris is a native of Park City, UT, where he grew up skiing and continues to teach a local youth ski program during the winter. He graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in marketing and is happy to still call this beautiful piece of earth home.

Leslie Barcus

Leslie Barcus, VegFund Executive Director, supports a global community of some 500 vegan activists to enable their public outreach and education about the broad benefits of vegan living on human health, the environment and to all creatures great and small.

Leslie’s governance and senior management experience with non-profit and private enterprises extends to organizations in some 40 countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America, Central and Eastern Europe and the Middle East and includes work in animal rights and animal welfare, biodiversity conservation, higher learning and adult education, microfinance, financial education, behavior change, organizational capacity building, international economic development and corporate and small business banking.

Leslie serves as a Board Member of Humane Society International and a long-term panelist for the annual selection of Humphrey Fellows of the Fulbright Program, supported by the U.S. State Department and the Institute for International Education.

Alisha Niswander

Alisha Niswander grew up on a farm in Ohio. She could usually be found playing outside with the animals or digging in the dirt looking for worms. With her degree in Outdoor Recreation, she quickly headed West to adventure in the mountains. Landing in Park City in 2001, she continued to develop her passion for the outdoors. Shortly after, Alisha started Mountain Vista Touring where she shares her love of the mountains with her clients. Paddleboarding, mountain biking, hiking, snowshoeing, trail running, you name it and she’ll take you there.

Choosing a plant based diet not only fuels Alisha’s soul but fuels her body to pursue her passions in a big way on a daily basis. Now a days Alisha can be found climbing a mountain and trying to beat her PR to the top. She is fueled by passion and fueled by plants.